7951-7967 West Beverly Boulevard (ENV-2023-6245-CE)
Summary
SCH Number
2024080106
Public Agency
City of Los Angeles
Document Title
7951-7967 West Beverly Boulevard (ENV-2023-6245-CE)
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
8/5/2024
Document Description
The project consists of four continuous lots with a total lot size of approximately 24,870 square feet). The project site is located on the northerly side of Beverly Boulevard with approximately 208 feet of street frontage . The project site is bounded to the east by Hayworth Avenue where it has approximately 120 feet of street frontage. The subject property is zoned C2-1 VL and has a land use designation of Community Commercial. The project is not located within the boundaries of or subject to any specific plan, community design overly or "Q" Qualified Conditions or "D" Development Limitations ordinance. The site is located within the Local Emergency Temporary Regulations - Time Limits and Parking Relief - LAMC 16.02.1 (Zl-2498), Transit Priority Area in the City of Los Angeles (Zl-2452), Housing Element Inventory of Sites (Zl-2512). The site is located within a methane zone and liquefaction zone.
The proposed project includes the demolition of two existing commercial structures along Beverly Boulevard, as well as the construction, use and maintenance of a new five (5)-story mixed use
development containing 77,397 square feet of floor area, with a Floor Area Ratio (FAR) of 3.14:1. The project proposes 6,051 square feet of commercial uses and a total of 113 dwelling units, 101 of which will be market rate and 12 will be restricted to extremely Low Income Households. This building will be a maximum of 67 feet in height, as measured from grade to the top of the parapet. The unit mix will be comprised of 56 one-bedroom, 8 two-bedroom, and 49 studio units. The project will provide 77 automobile parking spaces, of which 56 will be for residential uses along the first floor at grade and in one level of subterranean parking. The project will provide 98 bicycle parking spaces, 90 will be for residential use and 8 will be for commercial use. Bicycle parking will be provided at grade level and in the subterranean level. The project will provide 9,024 square feet of open space, consisting of 7,839 square feet of common open space and 1,185 of private open space . The project proposes seven (7) street trees along Beverly Boulevard, one (1) of which is an existing street trees and six (6) of which would be new street trees. There is no request
to remove the existing street tree. In addition, the project will provide 32 24-inch box trees on-site. The project proposes grading and export of approximately 7,500 cubic yards of earth. The type
of proposed uses and size are not unusual for the vicinity of the subject site and are similar in scope to other existing commercial buildings and residential dwellings in the area. Thus, there are
no unusual circumstances that may lead to a significant effect on the environment.
Contact Information
Name
Ricardo Vazquez
Agency Name
City of Los Angeles, City Planning Department
Job Title
City Planning Associate
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Name
Leon Berimon
Agency Name
Uncommon Developers
Job Title
Applicant
Contact Types
Project Applicant
Phone
Location
Cities
Los Angeles
Counties
Los Angeles
Regions
Southern California
Cross Streets
Beverly Blvd. & Hayworth Ave.
Zip
90048
Total Acres
.57
Other Location Info
7951-7967 West Beverly Boulevard (W. Beverly Blvd. and Hayworth Ave.)
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
Section 15332, Class 32 (Urban In-Fill Development)
Reasons for Exemption
The City of Los Angeles determined based on the whole of the administrative record, that the Project is exempt from CEQA pursuant to CEQA Guidelines, Section, 15332 (Urban Infill), and there is no substantial evidence demonstrating that an exception to a categorical exemption pursuant to CEQA Guidelines, Section 15300.2 applies. The project was found to be exempt based on the following: the project is in an infill site in an urbanized area, complies with the general plan and applicable policies, and would not result in significant impacts to traffic, noise, air quality or water quality.
CEQ A Section 15300.2: Exceptions to the Use of Categorical Exemptions
The City has considered whether the Proposed Project is subject to any of the five (5) exceptions that would prohibit the use of a categorical exemption as set forth in State CEQA Guidelines
Section 15300.2. There are five (5) Exceptions which must be considered in order to find a project exempt under CEQA: (a) Cumulative Impacts; (b) Significant Effect; (c) Scenic Highways; (d)
Hazardous Waste Sites; and (e) Historical Resources.
(a) Cumulative Impacts. All exemptions for these classes are inapplicable when the cumulative impact of successive projects of the same type in the same place, over time is significant.
The proposed project is located at 7951 - 7967 Beverly Boulevard within the Wilshire Community Plan. There are currently two (2) projects dating back to February 27, 2020, which are currently filed with the Department of City Planning of have received a Letter
of Determination from the Department of City Planning but have yet to received a Certificate of Occupancy from the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety (LADBS). As such, there are projects within 1,500 feet of the same type and in the same place as the subject project at the time of filing.
PROJECTS WITHIN A 1,500 FEET FROM THE SUBJECT SITE:
Address:352 N Hayworth Case Number: DIR-2020-1312-TOC- Date Filed: 2/27/2020 Scope of Work: New 20 units Ave HCA residential building
Address: 7763 W Beverly Case Number: DIR-2022-8065-TOC- Date File: 11/3/2002 Scope of Work: New 53 unit mixed use
Blvd WDI-VHCA building
According to SCAQMD, individual construction projects that do not exceed the SCAQMD's recommended daily thresholds for project-specific impacts would not cause a cumulatively considerable increase in emissions for those pollutants for which the Air Basin is in nonattainment. Interim thresholds were developed by DCP staff based on CalEEMod model runs relying on reasonable assumptions, consulting with AQMD staff, and surveying published air quality studies for which criteria air pollutants did not exceed the established SCAQMD construction and operational thresholds. Construction-related daily emissions at the project site would not exceed SCAQMD's regional or localized significance thresholds. Therefore, the project's contribution to cumulative construction-related regional emissions would not be cumulatively considerable and therefore would be less than significant. Construction of the
project also would have a less-than-significant impact with regard to localized emissions. The project submitted an Air Quality Study, prepared by Noah Tanski Environmental Consulting, dated October 17, 2023, that found that the proposed project would have less than significant effects as to air quality.
As noise is a localized phenomenon and decreases in magnitude as the distance from the source increases, only projects and ambient growth in the nearby area could combine with the proposed project to result in cumulatively considerable noise impacts. These above-noted projects will begin construction and end construction at different timelines, with minor overlap between projects. Thus, the construction of these known projects will be staggered and
therefore do not have the potential to cumulatively contribute to air quality, construction traffic, and noise levels. The project submitted a Noise Study, prepared by Noah Tanski Environmental Consulting, dated October 17, 2023, that found that the project's noise impact
would be less than significant.
(b) Significant Effect. A categorical exemption shall not be used for an activity where there is a reasonable possibility that the activity will have a significant effect on the environment due to unusual circumstances.
As mentioned, the proposed project includes the demolition of two existing commercial structures along Beverly Boulevard, as well as the construction, use and maintenance of a new five (5)-story mixed use development containing 77,397 square feet of floor area, with a
Floor Area Ratio (FAR) of 3.14: 1, which is permitted through the Transit Oriented Communities Affordable Housing Incentive Program. The proposed project will be for a five (5)-story mixed-use building in an area that is currently developed with residential and
commercial buildings that range in height from one (1) to three (3)-stories. Thus, there are no unusual circumstances that may lead to a significant impact on the environment.
(c) Scenic Highways. A categorical exemption shall not be used for a project which may result in damage to scenic resources, including but not limited to, trees, historic buildings, rock outcroppings, or similar resources, within a highway officially designated as a state scenic highway.
As it relates to development along a Scenic Highway, the only State Scenic Highway within the City of Los Angeles is the Topanga Canyon State Scenic Highway, State Route 27, which travels through a portion of Topanga State Park. State Route 27 is not located with the vicinity of the subject property. Therefore, the subject site will not create any impacts within a designated state scenic highway.
(d) Hazardous Waste. A categorical exemption shall not be used for a project located on a site which is included on any list compiled pursuant to Section 65962. 5 of the Government Code.
In regards to Hazardous Waste sites, according to Envirostor, the State of California's database of Hazardous Waste Sites, neither the subject site nor any site in the vicinity, is identified as a hazardous waste site. As such, the project would not be developed on a site
identified as a hazardous site pursuant to Section 65962.5 of the Government Code.
(e) Historic Resources. A categorical exemption shall not be used for a project which may cause a substantial adverse change in the significance of a historical resource.
The project site has not been identified as a historic resource by local or state agencies, and the project site has not been determined to be eligible for listing in the National Register of
Historic Places, California Register of Historical Resources, the Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monuments Register, and/or any local register; and was not found to be a potential historic resource based on the City's HistoricPlacesLA website or SurveyLA, the citywide survey of Los Angeles. Finally, the City chooses not to treat the site as historic.
County Clerk
Los Angeles
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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